• Lurker123 [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      83·
      1 year ago

      The “magic law” is just the consequence of what it means to be the “same” person. To be the same person, you have to, among other similarities, take up the same spatial-temporal space. This is why if we ask “is Bruce Wayne the same person as Batman” one of the first thoughts is “you know, I’ve never seen them in the same room before.”

      Maybe what you’re getting hung up on here is the split. Let’s imagine there is one river (river A) which goes for a bit before it forks and becomes river b and river c. In some sense, we could say that both river b and river c are river a. But if you’re river b, then river c is not the same as you, and vice versa.

      • flying_sheepEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        In the moment of copying, they’re the same, after that, they’re diverging through different experience. The difference in atoms/location is irrelevant from the perspective of that person’s consciousness. They both are the original in any sense that counts for them or others.

        • USSBurritoTruck@startrek.websiteMEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          The same is true for two Rikers. That’s the entire point of the episode; that despite them diverging at the point of the cloning into two different people, they are still the same person and need to live with that.

          I don’t think that as the point of the episode. As their lives diverged their interests and desires did so as well. They were similar, yes, but still different people. Will was promoted after successfully evacuating the people of Nervala IV and he became focused on his career. Thomas was stuck on Nervala IV thinking of the woman he left behind, and when he’s rescued he wants to rekindle that relationship whereas Will let it fizzle.

          To say nothing of Thomas eventually choosing to join the Maquis. That is not something we’d ever see from Will.

          Will: Good luck, Will.
          Thomas: I actually thought I might go with the name Thomas.
          Troi: Your middle name.
          Will: I guess we really are different. I never really cared for that name.
          Thomas: Well, I sort of like it. I guess I’d better get going.

    • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      23·
      1 year ago

      Sure, if your totally-not-magic society has 100% fidelity printed people and is totally fine with someone with officer clearance printing a few hundred of themself to collectively pull rank in every part of a Star Trek ship at once and demand interchanging legal presence as if the same person was everywhere at once at all times no matter what individually differentiating experiences those 100% fidelity copies start picking up to distinguish themselves. Totally not a magic system. Totally not just your hangup and contempt for the idea of an individual existing outside of crude reductionistic principles.